Cornell Appoints Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates to Review Rape Allegations

Cornell University has appointed Sally Yates, a former acting U.S. attorney general and deputy attorney general under President Barack Obama, to lead an independent internal review into the institution's handling of a former student's rape allegations. The appointment follows severe campus backlash and nationwide scrutiny surrounding a civil lawsuit filed by a victim identified as Jane Doe, who alleges systemic institutional failures in addressing her report.

Yates, currently a partner at King & Spalding, was selected by a newly formed Special Committee of the Cornell University Board of Trustees. Her mandate includes evaluating the university's institutional response to the specific incident and auditing its broader campus policies regarding sexual misconduct. "Sally Yates brings extraordinary experience, independence and judgment to this work," said Anne Meinig Smalling, chair of the special committee, emphasizing that the team will recommend systemic reforms to enhance campus safety.

The review stems from a federal civil lawsuit filed in mid-September, in which the plaintiff alleges she was drugged and gang-raped by seven men at the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024. Cornell University is named as a defendant alongside the accused men, who have denied all wrongdoing. Although no criminal charges were brought initially, Cornell stated that its Title IX probe led to student suspensions and expulsions, though campus critics argue the institutional response was profoundly deficient.

The fallout has generated sustained protests from student groups and prompted external state intervention. New York Governor Kathy Hochul directed state Attorney General Letitia James to initiate a criminal investigation into the case following widespread criticism of both campus police and the local district attorney. Yates's independent findings are expected to shape Cornell's future Title IX enforcement and regulatory protocols amid reignited national debates over collegiate sexual assault accountability.